• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.122-128
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• 2010

We measured shear viscosity of copoly(styrene(St)/butyl methacrylate(BMA)) (co-PSB) particles, with a capillary rheometer at $170^{\circ}C$, prepared by suspension polymerization with hydrophobic silica as a stabilizer. co-PSB particles with the weight average molecular weights of lower than 74,800 g/mol displayed a Newtonian behavior at low shear rates. With the weight average molecular weight exceeding 136,800 g/mol, co-PSB particles showed shear thinning against shear rates and the absolute value of the slopes between shear viscosity vs. shear rate increased. When the ratio between St and BMA changed from 7/3 to 5/5 to 3/7, shear viscosity and glass transition decreased despite similar molecular weights. When the ratio was 1/9, it showed a large increase in initial shear viscosity despite reduced glass transition. Shear viscosity exhibited an increase in proportion to carbon black concentration. The effect of carbon black concentration on the shear viscosity of co-PSB composites was less pronounced compared to varying molecular weights and/or compositional ratio.

• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.336-342
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• 2009

We measured shear viscosity of polystyrene (PS) and poly(butyl methacrylate) (PBMA) particles, with a capillary rheometer, prepared by suspension polymerization with 1.0 wt% hydrophobic silica as a stabilizer by varying the initiator concentration at $75^{\circ}C$. PS particles with weight average molecular weight of 66,500 g/mol displayed a Newtonian behaior at low shear rates at $190^{\circ}C$. With increasing molecular weight, PS particles showed shear thinning over the entire range of shear rates. For PBMA particles, steady shear measurement was carried out at $170^{\circ}C$. PBMA particles with weight average molecular weight of 156,700 g/mol showed a Newtonian behaior only at low shear rates. PBMA particles also showed shear thinning with an increase in molecular weight and its pattern similar to that of PS. When carbon black was incorporated into PS and PBMA polymers, steady shear measurement was conducted at $170^{\circ}C$. An increase in carbon black concentration in PS and PBMA composite particles exhibited a progressive increase in shear viscosity. The increase in shear viscosity, however, was less pronounced compared to an increase as a function of molecular weight. Preparing PS composites containing carbon black by internal mixing resulted in an increase in shear viscosity. Its increase, however, was found to be less than that shown in PS composite particles. We speculate that this is caused by an enhanced dispersion of carbon black particles with an internal mixer. Yield behavior was not observed in any of the samples we selected in this experiment.